Multimedia

Rod Cowan is currently in his fifth season as a coach at Marshall. In his first season, he coached the sprinters to three school records including the 100m, 4x200 and 4x100. During his second year, two more school records were broke in the 60m and the 4x400.

In 2009 Cowan had one of his best season's ever as a coach. Accomplishments included training six athletes which set school records, and helping Kristin Smith win the C-USA title in the penthathlon.

Cowan joined the Marshall coaching staff after numerous years and successes at the high school level in South Carolina. An Anderson, S.C. native, Cowan was named the Anderson Independent male coach of the year in 2004 and was a seven time S.C. Region 1-AAAA coach of the year. Cowan became a USATF level II certified coach in 2003.

Cowan's successes come on all levels, state, regional and national. On the state level Cowan coached his team to two state runner-up titles. In Region 1-AAAA Cowan won seven conference titles. Cowan coached two national champion shuttle relays, 2004 NIC boys shuttle relay that set the new meet record as well as the national outdoor shuttle relay record and the 2005 NIC girls' shuttle relay. Cowan had three track and field All-Americans during his tenure as a high school coach.

A graduate of Claflin University of Orangeburg, S.C., Cowan is married to the former Shaneka Johnson and has two children, Shericka and Kelan.